Labour participation; young people

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Sex Age Formal Eduation Labour force and not in the labour force (x 1 000) Labour force Labour force (x 1 000) Labour force Unemployed labour force (x 1 000) Labour force Unemployment rate (%) Labour force Employed labour force Employed labour force (x 1 000) Not in the labour force (x 1 000) Gross labour participation rate (%) Net labour participation rate (%)
Total male and female 15 to 24 years Total 2,169 1,807 160 8.8 1,648 362 83.3 76.0
In formal education 1,602 1,300 122 9.4 1,178 302 81.1 73.5
Not in formal education 567 508 37 7.4 470 59 89.5 82.9
15 to 19 years Total 1,008 797 85 10.7 712 211 79.1 70.6
In formal education 919 724 78 10.7 647 195 78.8 70.3
Not in formal education 89 73 8 10.6 65 16 82.2 73.5
20 to 24 years Total 1,161 1,010 74 7.4 936 151 87.0 80.6
In formal education 683 576 45 7.8 531 107 84.3 77.8
Not in formal education 478 435 30 6.8 405 44 90.9 84.7
15 years Total 196 133 22 16.2 112 63 68.0 57.0
In formal education 193 131 21 15.9 110 61 68.2 57.3
Not in formal education 4 2 1 . 1 2 . .
16 years Total 198 156 19 11.9 137 43 78.6 69.2
In formal education 195 154 18 11.9 136 41 78.8 69.4
Not in formal education 3 2 0 . 1 1 . .
17 years Total 198 161 16 10.0 145 37 81.3 73.2
In formal education 189 154 15 9.6 139 35 81.5 73.6
Not in formal education 9 7 1 . 6 2 . .
18 years Total 203 171 14 8.5 156 33 83.9 76.8
In formal education 172 145 12 8.3 133 27 84.1 77.1
Not in formal education 31 26 2 9.5 24 5 83.0 75.1
19 years Total 213 177 15 8.2 163 36 83.1 76.3
In formal education 171 141 12 8.2 129 30 82.4 75.6
Not in formal education 42 36 3 8.2 33 6 86.0 79.0
20 years Total 223 189 16 8.4 173 33 85.0 77.9
In formal education 166 140 12 8.4 128 26 84.5 77.4
Not in formal education 57 49 4 8.3 45 8 86.5 79.3
21 years Total 230 199 13 6.7 185 32 86.3 80.5
In formal education 157 134 9 6.7 125 24 85.0 79.3
Not in formal education 73 65 4 6.6 61 8 89.1 83.2
22 years Total 234 203 16 7.7 187 31 86.6 79.9
In formal education 142 119 9 7.9 110 23 84.1 77.4
Not in formal education 93 84 6 7.5 78 9 90.5 83.7
23 years Total 234 206 14 6.9 192 28 88.0 81.9
In formal education 123 104 8 7.3 96 19 84.5 78.3
Not in formal education 111 102 7 6.5 95 9 91.9 85.9
24 years Total 239 213 15 7.2 198 26 89.0 82.6
In formal education 95 78 7 8.8 72 16 82.9 75.6
Not in formal education 145 135 8 6.2 126 10 92.9 87.1
Male 15 to 24 years Total 1,104 920 83 9.1 837 184 83.3 75.8
In formal education 806 650 64 9.9 585 157 80.6 72.6
Not in formal education 298 270 19 7.1 251 28 90.7 84.2
15 to 19 years Total 518 411 45 11.0 366 108 79.2 70.5
In formal education 467 367 40 10.9 327 100 78.6 70.1
Not in formal education 51 43 5 12.0 38 8 84.9 74.7
20 to 24 years Total 586 509 38 7.5 471 77 86.9 80.4
In formal education 339 282 24 8.6 258 57 83.3 76.1
Not in formal education 247 227 14 6.2 213 20 91.8 86.2
15 years Total 101 67 11 15.6 57 33 67.1 56.6
In formal education 98 66 10 15.0 56 32 67.4 57.2
Not in formal education 3 1 1 . 1 1 . .
16 years Total 102 80 10 11.9 70 22 78.3 69.0
In formal education 101 79 9 12.0 70 22 78.5 69.1
Not in formal education 1 1 0 . 1 0 . .
17 years Total 102 85 8 10.0 76 17 83.1 74.8
In formal education 97 80 8 9.6 72 16 83.0 75.0
Not in formal education 5 4 1 . 4 1 . .
18 years Total 105 89 8 8.8 81 16 84.6 77.1
In formal education 87 73 6 8.5 67 14 84.1 76.9
Not in formal education 18 16 2 10.3 14 2 86.8 77.9
19 years Total 109 90 9 9.8 81 19 82.6 74.4
In formal education 85 69 7 9.7 63 16 81.3 73.4
Not in formal education 24 21 2 10.2 19 3 87.3 78.4
20 years Total 113 95 9 8.9 87 18 84.4 76.8
In formal education 80 66 6 9.4 60 14 82.8 75.0
Not in formal education 33 29 2 7.9 27 4 88.2 81.2
21 years Total 116 100 6 6.1 94 16 86.2 80.9
In formal education 75 63 4 6.3 59 12 83.9 78.6
Not in formal education 41 37 2 5.8 35 4 90.2 84.9
22 years Total 118 102 8 8.1 93 17 85.9 79.0
In formal education 71 58 5 9.0 53 13 82.3 74.8
Not in formal education 47 43 3 6.7 40 4 91.4 85.3
23 years Total 118 104 7 7.1 97 14 88.0 81.7
In formal education 63 53 4 8.5 48 10 83.7 76.6
Not in formal education 55 51 3 5.7 49 4 92.8 87.5
24 years Total 121 108 8 7.3 101 12 89.8 83.2
In formal education 50 42 4 10.0 38 8 83.9 75.5
Not in formal education 71 66 4 5.6 63 4 94.0 88.8
Female 15 to 24 years Total 1,065 888 76 8.6 811 177 83.3 76.2
In formal education 796 650 58 8.9 592 146 81.7 74.4
Not in formal education 269 237 18 7.7 219 32 88.3 81.5
15 to 19 years Total 490 387 40 10.4 347 103 78.9 70.7
In formal education 452 357 38 10.5 319 95 78.9 70.6
Not in formal education 38 30 3 8.5 27 8 78.6 71.9
20 to 24 years Total 575 501 36 7.2 465 74 87.1 80.8
In formal education 344 293 20 7.0 273 51 85.3 79.4
Not in formal education 231 207 16 7.6 192 23 89.8 83.0
15 years Total 95 66 11 16.8 55 30 68.9 57.3
In formal education 94 65 11 16.7 54 29 69.0 57.5
Not in formal education 1 1 0 . 0 0 . .
16 years Total 96 76 9 12.0 67 20 78.8 69.4
In formal education 95 75 9 11.8 66 20 79.1 69.8
Not in formal education 2 1 0 . 1 1 . .
17 years Total 96 76 8 10.0 68 20 79.4 71.4
In formal education 92 74 7 9.7 66 19 79.9 72.1
Not in formal education 4 2 0 . 2 1 . .
18 years Total 98 82 7 8.1 75 17 83.2 76.5
In formal education 85 72 6 8.1 66 14 84.1 77.3
Not in formal education 13 10 1 . 9 3 . .
19 years Total 104 87 6 6.5 81 17 83.7 78.3
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


This table contains quarterly and yearly figures on labour participation of young people in the Netherlands. The population of 15 to 24 years of age (excluding the institutionalized population) is divided into the employed labour force, the unemployed labour force and those not in the labour force. The employed labour force is subdivided on the basis of the professional status and the average working hours. A division by sex, age and whether they are in education is available.

Data available from: 2013

Status of the figures:
The figures in this table are final.

Changes as of February 12, 2026:
The figures for the 4th quarter 2025 and the annual figures of 2025 have been added.

Changes as of August 17, 2022:
None, this is a new table. This table has been compiled on the basis of the Labor Force Survey (LFS). Due to changes in the research design and the questionnaire of the LFS, the figures for 2021 are not automatically comparable with the figures up to and including 2020. The key figures in this table have therefore been made consistent with the (non-seasonally adjusted) figures in the table Arbeidsdeelname, kerncijfers seizoengecorrigeerd (see section 4), in which the outcomes for the period 2013-2020 have been recalculated to align with the outcomes from 2021. When further detailing the outcomes according to job and personal characteristics, there may nevertheless be differences from 2020 to 2021 as a result of the new method.

When will new figures be released?
New figures will be published in May 2026.

Description topics

Labour force and not in the labour force
People who are part of the employed labour force, the unemployed labour force or who are not in the labour force.

This definition concerns people who live in the Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old. Paid work is regardless of the hours worked.
Labour force
People
- who have paid work (employed labour force), or
- who don’t have paid work, recently looked for work and are directly available for it (unemployed labour force).

This definition concerns people who live in the Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old. Paid work is regardless of the hours worked.
Labour force
People
- who have paid work (employed labour force), or
- who don’t have paid work, recently looked for work and are directly available for it (unemployed labour force).

This definition concerns people who live in the Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old. Paid work is regardless of the hours worked.
Employed labour force
People who have paid work.

This definition concerns people who live in the Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old. Paid work is regardless of the hours worked.
Employed labour force
People who have paid work.

This definition concerns people who live in the Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old. Paid work is regardless of the hours worked.
Unemployed labour force
People who don’t have paid work, recently looked for work and are directly available for it.

This definition concerns people who live in the Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old. Paid work is regardless of the hours worked.
Unemployment rate
The unemployed labour force as a percentage of the (employed and unemployed) labour force.

This definition concerns people who live in the Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old.
Not in the labour force
People who don’t have paid work, who haven’t recently looked for work recently or are not directly available for it.

This definition concerns people who live in the Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old. Paid work is regardless of the hours worked.
Gross labour participation rate
The percentage of the (employed and unemployed) labour force in the population (labour force and not in the labour force).

This definition concerns people who live in the Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old.
Net labour participation rate
The percentage of the employed labour force in the population (labour force and not in the labour force).
This definition concerns people who live in the Netherlands (excluding the institutionalized population). The figures are usually presented for the population aged 15 to 74 years old.